Murtal Lions win at WEV after superb comeback – Althofen beat Steindorf

EV Zeltweg Murtal Lions celebrated a 4:3 overtime win at WEV in the North-East Group of the Ö Eishockey Liga after a magnificent comeback. Sharks Gmunden claimed their first win of the season with a 3:2 victory over UHT Dukes Graz. In the South Group, 1st EHC Althofen secured a 5:4 overtime win against Steindorf. The Pirates from Velden took all three points from Spittal with a 5:0 victory. Eisbären Huben defeated VSV's Jungadler 5:4. In the West Group, VEU Feldkirch celebrated a clear 5:1 win over EHC Crocodiles Kundl.

12 November 20227 min read

The Wiener Eislauf-Verein had unveiled a new player in Ukrainian Bogdan Stupak ahead of the North-East Group clash with EV Zeltweg Murtal Lions.

The forward immediately introduced himself at the Eishalle Leithanea, scoring his first Ö Eishockey Liga goal after just under 13 minutes on the power play to give the Viennese side a 1:0 lead. The Styrians, for whom 16-year-old Yannick Dulnigg made his debut, had travelled to Lower Austria with just 13 skaters and conceded the 0:2 in the second period. Raphael Nemeth converted a pass from Bogdan Stupak on the power play in the 38th minute.

In the final period, Raphael Nemeth again appeared to seal the outcome for the player-coach's team, making it 3:0 in the 46th minute. However, Zeltweg Murtal Lions lived up to their name and fought their way back into the game like lions. A double strike from Marco Kuntze and Luka Petelin within 1:20 minutes brought the Lions back to 2:3.

Thomas Schiechl equalised at 3:3 with just under three minutes remaining in regulation, with Zeltweg drawing level within just under four minutes. In overtime, Mario Sulzer converted a penalty shot for the 4:3 winner for the Murtal side.

Sharks Gmunden bite back against UHT Dukes Graz

The North-East Group home game for UEHV RAUCH Technology Sharks Gmunden against UHT Dukes Graz was an exciting affair.

The game remained scoreless for a long time, with the Sharks once again struggling to find the net as they had throughout the season so far. At the other end, veteran Rudi Hummel, like his opposite number Gernot Fally, kept a clean sheet for a long time. It was not until two and a half minutes before the second intermission that Moritz Stradner broke the deadlock and gave the Dukes from Graz a 1:0 lead.

The final period began with a bang for the Sharks: Konstantin Schlair equalised on the power play after exactly 21 seconds, sparking huge celebrations at the Haifischbecken on Lake Traun. Just under two minutes later, the arena was buzzing as Jonas Kail put the home side ahead for the first time.

The game remained exciting, with Graz fighting back to equalise at 2:2 through Clemens Lennkh ten minutes from time. With 72 seconds remaining before the final buzzer, Laurens Ober fired the Sharks to their first win of the season, 3:2, after five consecutive defeats.

South Group: 1st EHC Althofen beat ESC SoccerZone Steindorf

The big clash at Stadthalle Althofen between last season's regular-season winners 1st EHC Althofen and ESC SoccerZone Steindorf delivered everything the fans could wish for in terms of the course of the game. Lukas Friedrich put the Ossiacher See side ahead in the 13th minute. Goal-getter Sandro Seifried scored the equaliser for the Rhinos two minutes before the end of the first period.

The visitors made the better start to the second period, with Benjamin Petrik making it 2:1 to Steindorf exactly one minute in. In the 36th minute, Sandro Seifried converted a 5:3 power-play opportunity to level the score at 2:2 for the spa town side. Shortly before the end of the period, Robert Moser's Steindorf side had a power play, which Benjamin Petrik converted into 3:2 exactly one second before the siren.

When Nico Toff made it 4:2 on the power play again in the 50th minute, the visitors appeared to be on course for victory.

But Head Coach Gerald Ressmann's team is known for not throwing in the towel so quickly. Marc Ettinger made the game exciting again with his goal to make it 3:4 five minutes before the end of regulation. 29 seconds before the final siren, Sandro Seifried sent the home side into overtime with his third goal of the game.

There, it took exactly 38 seconds for Stefan Schumnig to secure victory and the extra point for Althofen with the goal for 5:4.

UECR Eisbären Huben celebrate opening win at EC iDM VSV

The young Eagles of EC iDM VSV took on UECR Eisbären Huben at the Steindorfer Ossiacher See Halle and took a 1:0 lead on the power play through Moritz Steiner in the twelfth minute.

Just under two minutes later, the East Tyroleans had arrived in the new season, with Johannes Fuetsch scoring the equaliser. VSV regained the lead at 2:1 through Florian Springer while short-handed in the 18th minute, and that was how it stood at the first break.

Raphael Bstieler equalised again for the Eisbären, coached by Silvio Trojer, in the second period. That was the starting signal for a thrilling middle period by the visitors, who may be behind in their training due to the lack of ice in Huben but concealed it well.

50 seconds after the equaliser, the visitors took the lead for the first time through Ruben Schwarzer. With the next quick double strike within 48 seconds, the Eisbären extended their lead to three goals by the 34th minute through Elias Mattersberger on the power play and Jakob Schwarzer. 22 seconds before the second-period siren, Florian Lanzinger pulled VSV back to 3:5.

The East Tyroleans held their two-goal lead for a long time in the final period. Florian Springer made the closing stages tense again by making it 4:5 49 seconds from the end, but the Eisbären saw out the narrow victory.

USC Pirates Velden celebrate clear win against Spittal

The EC LiWoDruck Spittal kept a clean sheet against USC Pirates Velden for 16 minutes before Valentin Leiler put the Pirates ahead at 1:0. Leiler was also the player who put the Wörthersee western shore side on course for victory early in the second period by making it 2:0.

Daniel Wachter and Christian Ban made it 4:0 for Head Coach Herwig Gressel's Pirates with a quick double strike within 30 seconds, with 28 minutes and three seconds on the clock at that point. Benjamin Rassl effectively sealed the outcome in the visitors' favour ten seconds before the end of the second period.

The final period ended goalless, as Velden claimed a confident win in their very first outing to open the championship despite being behind in their training.

Group West: VEU Feldkirch comfortably defeat EHC Crocodiles Kundl

In the final game of the round in the West Group, VEU Feldkirch once again showed their home strength against EHC Crocodiles Kundl over the opening 40 minutes.

One player had particularly stood out in the last home win: Benjamin Kyllönen scored six goals against HC Innsbruck's Junghaie and picked up exactly where he left off on Saturday. The goalscorer gave VEU a 1:0 lead on the power play just under six minutes into the first period.

In the second period, Alessandro Togni also scored on the power play to make it 2:0 for the Vorarlberg side, while at the other end goaltender David Felder shut the door despite the Crocodiles registering a total of ten shots. In the final period, Lukas Göggel made it 3:0 for the Feldkirch side in the 48th minute. Vladimir Dolnik put Kundl on the scoreboard on the power play.

But VEU did not let the win slip away and celebrated a clear 5:1 victory thanks to two shorthanded goals, from Joonatan Kyllönen in the 54th minute and Simon Hämmerle into the empty net in the 58th minute. With their third consecutive home win, the Vorarlberg side overtook the Crocodiles in the standings and are now third.

Matchday, North-East Group

Wiener Eislauf-Verein vs. EV Zeltweg Murtal Lions 3:4 n.V. (1:0,1:0,1:3,0:1)
Sat., 12 November 2022, 15:15 hrs, Eishalle Leithana Bruck an der Leitha
Goalscorers, Wiener Eislauf-Verein: Bogdan Stupak (13:05 Min./PP1), Raphael Nemeth (37:19 Min./PP1, 45:15 Min.)
Goalscorers, EV Zeltweg Murtal Lions: Marco Kuntze (54:00 Min.), Luka Petelin (55:20 Min.), Thomas Schiechl (57:48 Min.), Mario Sulzer (61:56 Min./PS)

UEHV RAUCH Technology Sharks Gmunden vs. UHT Dukes Graz 3:2 (0:0,0:1,3:1)
Sat., 12 November 2022, 18:15 hrs, Eishalle Gmunden
Goalscorers, Sharks Gmunden: Konstantin Schlair (40:21 Min./PP1), Jonas Kail (43:06 Min.), Laurens Ober (58:48 Min.)
Goalscorers, UHT Dukes Graz: Moritz Stradner (37:31 Min.), Clemens Lennkh (49:55 Min.)

Matchday, South Group

EHC Althofen vs. ESC SoccerZone Steindorf 5:4 n.V. (1:1,1:2,2:1,1:0)
Sat., 12 November 2022, 15:15 hrs, Stadthalle Althofen
Scorers 1. EHC Althofen: Sandro Seifried (17:59 min., 35:33 min./PP2, 59:31 min.), Marc Ettinger (55:08 min.), Stefan Schuming (60:38 min.)
Scorers ESC SoccerZone Steindorf: Lukas Friedrich (12:16 min.), Benjamin Petrik (21:00 min., 39:59 min./PP1), Nico Toff (49:32 min./PP1)

EC iDM VSV vs. UECR Eisbären Huben 4:5 (2:1,1:4,1:0)
Sat., 12 November 2022, 18:00, Ossiacher See Halle Steindorf
Scorers EC iDM VSV: Moritz Steiner (11:07 min./PP1), Florian Springer (17:38 min./SH1, 59:11 min.), Florian Lanzinger (39:38 min.)
Scorers UECR Eisbären Huben: Johannes Fuetsch (13:28 min.), Raphael Bstieler (28:31 min.), Ruben Schwarzer (29:21 min.), Elias Mattersberger (32:28 min./PP1), Jakob Schwarzer (33:16 min.)

EC LiWoDruck Spittal vs. USC Pirates Velden 0:5 (0:1,0:4,0:0)
Sat., 12 November 2022, 18:15, Eis-Sport-Arena Spittal
Scorers USC Pirates Velden: Valentin Leiler (16:07 min., 23:18 min.), Daniel Wachter (27:23 min.), Christian Ban (28:03 min.), Benjamin Rassl (39:50 min.)

Matchday, West Group

VEU Feldkirch vs. EHC Crocodiles Kundl 5:1 (1:0,1:0,3:1)
Sat., 12 November 2022, 19:30, Vorarlberghalle
Scorers VEU Feldkirch: Benjamin Kyllönen (06:10 min.), Alessandro Togni (34:40 min.) Lukas Göggel (47:02 min.), Joonatan Kyllönen (53:11 min./SH1), Simon Hämmerle (57:07 min./EN/SH1)
Scorer EHC Crocodiles Kundl: Vladimir Dolnik (48:23 min./PP1)